History Page 7

The Modern Era

 In 1998, additional courtrooms were added to the courthouse to accommodate the county’s rapid growth. The addition was finished in 1998 and is located to the east of and is connected to the old courthouse. The design was approved by the commissioners and was submitted by Steinkamp, Steinkamp & Hampton. The building addition was designed in Greek Revival style and contains a central pediment supported by Tuscan columns with brick bases. The pediment contains an elliptical window. A drum rises from the roofline and is topped by a clock tower capped by a dome. The original entrance to the 1936 Courthouse was transformed into a stained glass window commemorating the history of Clermont County in images of its townships, villages, and cities. The 1998 addition was dedicated on May 14, 1998 during a ceremony attended by the late Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer and the associate justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio. The judges on the Common Pleas bench as of the dedication were Judge Jerry R. McBride, Judge Robert P. Ringland, and Judge William Walker.

Conclusion

 History gives us both context and instruction. The history of the courthouses in Clermont County, and by extension the judges and attorneys who presided and practiced in them, shows us the growth and improvement of the local justice system and the broader community it serves. Whether it was criminal or civil matters, the Court adapted and evolved to meet changing times and the needs of the county and its residents. More than two centuries have passed since the first suit in 1801. As the Court has moved from the era of the whipping post to the era of Wi-Fi, we can greater appreciate the value of ready access to impartial courts, public service, and dedication to equal justice under law by knowing the history of our local trial court.
 
Sources: The Law in Southwestern Ohio, by Members of the Cincinnati Bar Association, George P. Stimson, editor (1972).
History of Clermont County, Ohio, J.B. Lippencott & Co., Philadelphia, (1880)
Selected photos from the Oscar H. Sharp Collection at the Doris Wood Branch of the Clermont County Library, the Ohio Historical Society, and the private collection of Judge William Walker.